What Causes Cancer? And Common Cancer Types

Cancer is one of the most striking diagnoses a patient can receive, and there’s no easy way to handle such terrible news. Luckily, it is not as widespread as many other diseases, and the majority of cases are not associated with infectious diseases. Still, there are many causes of cancer, and we can count on certain bacteria and viruses.

Unlike many other diseases, there’s no vaccine against cancer. Even though there are many survivors, in most cases, it is a life-threatening disease with terrible implications. What can we do about cancer? Prevention is the key, and if we want to reduce cancer risk we need to know the most important causes and the most common types.

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What causes cancer?

Cancer is a multifactorial disease, meaning that there is not a single cause behind each case. Instead, there’s a complex interplay of risk factors and causes playing a distinct role, usually years before it appears in the first place. The most common causes and risk factors are as follows:

Genetics

We have all sorts of genes, and some of them protect the organism against cancer. Cancer is a DNA problem in tumor cells that allow them to multiply without any restraint and very rapidly. This DNA problem is usually localized in the malignant tissue, not in the entire body. But there is also genetic predisposition in some instances, and that’s why cancer sometimes runs in families. Moreover, children who are born without certain protecting genes may quickly develop very aggressive types of cancer, as in retinoblastoma, a variety of cancer that affects the eye in 2-year-old children.

Environmental toxins

Toxins and pollution are often contributors to some types of cancer. The best example is tobacco and the toxins associated with smoking. Tobacco has hundreds of substances, and many of them are cancerous, which means they potentially trigger many types of cancer by favoring inflammation. Another clear example is asbestos exposure, which increases the risk of lung cancer.

Exposure to radiation

It is a common concern among patients because all of us know that exposure to radiation may cause cancer. However, it is not a prevalent cause of health problems unless you’re continuously exposed to radiation, in the fetus of pregnant women, and being in contact with environmental radiation. Radiologists should be very careful because their job usually has to do with continuous exposure to radiation.

Stress

Even though stress is a psychological issue, it may affect our physical health, as well. It does so by altering the way our hormonal system works and triggering immune problems. The immune system is continuously looking for any problem in the body, and that does not only include infections. When our immune cells come across cancer cells and recognize them, they gather up and take them down. Chronic stress may reduce this natural response and make us more susceptible to developing certain forms of cancer.

Diet and lifestyle

Our diet has a significant influence on our wellbeing, and that includes cancer risk. Higher levels of inflammation and continuously having processed foods may increase the risk of colon cancer, especially if we don’t eat enough dietary fiber. Similarly, living a sedentary life and obesity predispose patients to many types of cancer.

Infectious diseases

Impressively enough, there are certain infections that make us more likely to develop cancer. For example, Helicobacter pylori infections in the stomach will not only cause severe gastritis and gastric ulcers but also stomach cancer. Papillomavirus infections in a woman’s cervix is a cause of cervical cancer. Both microorganisms affect the DNA of cells either directly or indirectly and predispose to the formation of tumors.

Most common types of cancer

We can have cancer in any and every structure of the human body, but some types of cancer are more common. Luckily, many types of aggressive and unresponsive cancers are not usual, as in the case of rhabdomyosarcoma. But others are very common and may affect a very high proportion of patients. They are:

Breast cancer

It is a type of cancer that is more common in women than men, because, even though they both have breast tissue, women’s breasts are more abundant. Breast cancer is also a hormone-dependent type of cancer, and it usually responds to estrogen. Thus, women with a high risk of breast cancer and survivors of this type of cancer should not use oral contraceptive pills that contain this hormone.

Cervical cancer

This type of cancer is located in a woman’s womb, in the opening that connects the uterus with the vagina. This section is called the cervix, and it is the most common location of womb cancer. Cervical cancer is different from many others because it is commonly caused by a papillomavirus, as we mentioned above. Of note, there are certain strains of papillomavirus that will cause cancer and others that will not. Therefore, an infection is not necessarily a diagnosis of cervical cancer.

Prostate cancer

It is one of the most common types of cancer in men, and it affects a gland called prostate. This gland is located in the neck of the urinary bladder, surrounding the urethra. It is responsible for creating fluids that mix together with others and contribute to the load of semen in ejaculation. Prostate cancer is more common as we age, and it is usually a slow-progressing type of cancer that does not always require medical intervention. When it does, there are surgical and non-surgical procedures doctors can try, and the best way to prevent this type of cancer is through rectal examination.

Skin cancer

A common type of cancer, especially in tropical countries and places with a high level of UV ray exposure. Skin cancer is not always aggressive, but melanoma, the most aggressive type, behaves like many other cancers and rapidly spreads throughout the body. There are certain characteristics that will help us differentiate moles with melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.

Colon cancer

It is a silent type of cancer that only gives symptoms when it grows big enough. In that circumstance, colon cancer is difficult to treat, and it rapidly spreads to other parts of the body. Signs and symptoms include blood in the stools, weight loss, constipation, diarrhea, and many other symptoms.

Stomach cancer

As mentioned above, stomach cancer is typically caused by an infection with Helicobacter pylori. Patients with no trace of infection have a very low risk of stomach cancer, and it would be otherwise very rare. That’s why we should look carefully at signs such as continuous abdominal discomfort, acid reflux problems, and any trace of blood in vomit. They are often tell-tale signs that doctors use to diagnose either H. pylori infections or stomach cancer.

Liver cancer

This organ is closely related to the gastrointestinal system, too. It is a common site of metastasis when cancer affects another place, but there are many cases of primary liver cancer due to the incidence of alcoholism. Liver cancer due to alcoholism is usually associated with a history of fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver. Another common cause of liver cancer is hepatitis B infections, which usually go chronic and affects patients for a prolonged time causing inflammation that predisposes to cancer.

Brain cancer

There are many types of brain tumors, but not all of them are malignant. They are the second more common type of cancer in children and may affect various areas of the brain and cause different symptoms according to each one.

Leukemia

This is also known as blood cancer because it affects blood cells and the place where they are formed. Leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children, and there are various types and subtypes according to the cell line that is involved and the symptoms.

Lymphoma

It is a type of cancer located in the lymphatic tissue, including the lymph vessels and the lymph nodes. There are two different types of lymphoma, Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. It accounts as a type of blood cancer, too, but the affected cells this time are not red blood cells but lymphocytes.

Lung cancer

Another common cause of cancer, especially after tobacco smoke and environmental contamination. Lung cancer mainly causes respiratory symptoms, and only 15% of cases are found in people who have never smoked. It is a very severe type of cancer and the most common cause of death associated with cancer in 2012.

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Luckily enough, cancer can be prevented by living a healthier lifestyle, reducing environmental exposure and being attentive to our medical check-ups. There are certain age groups with a higher incidence of certain types of cancer, and that is taken into consideration by your doctor when prescribing certain tests. Thus, always follow his instructions and run your check-up tests even if you feel nothing is wrong with you.